Kenya launched a project Thursday that seeks to eliminate child labor in the coffee and tea sectors of the country.
Florence Bore, cabinet secretary in the Ministry for Labor and Social Protection, said the initiative, dubbed Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labor in Supply Chains in Africa, will be implemented in five years in four rural counties where child labor is prevalent in the agricultural sector.
“The project will expand government efforts and dedication to safeguard children’s futures,” Bore told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
She added that the project will also play a role in helping Kenya achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8) on eliminating child labor by the year 2025.
Jacqueline Mugo, chief executive officer of the Federation of Kenyan Employers, said that the project will enhance the skilled labor force in the country by encouraging children to increase the amount of education they receive.
Mugo noted that child labor has a negative economic impact because it is short-term gain at the expense of long-term value.
XINHUA
